Principal Software Engineer

What part will you play? If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it. Because, at Markel, the work you do gives people the confidence to move forward and seize opportunities. Whether you’re wild about horses, bananas for boats or driven by data, you’ll find your fit amongst our global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to go further because we believe that when we realize our potential, we can help others reach theirs.
Join us and play your part in something special!

Markel is seeking a highly skilled Principal Software Engineer to lead its Guidewire Claim Center development team. As an advocate for agile/lean practices, this role requires an individual excited by innovative problem-solving in a cross-functional team. This leader will not only champion superior code quality but also drive the quest for outstanding user experience, continuously engaging in learning and applying the latest development techniques. The Principal Engineer will not only contribute to but also steer the development, maintenance, and enhancement of business applications by providing advanced technical insight and business acumen to the team. 

 What you’ll do… 

• Lead a dedicated developm team, ensuring the complete, efficient delivery of solutions. 

• Design robust architecture and oversee the development and unit testing of application software across multiple technologies. 

• Establish and advocate for best practices and design patterns, ensuring high quality of software products and reducing maintenance needs. 

• Provide strategic technical direction, championing the adoption of cutting-edge tools and technologies. 

• Drive technical excellence and innovation within the software engineering community of practice. 

• Lead in diagnosing and troubleshooting reported problems while advising on long-term solutions. 

• Manage and mentor existing systems' maintenance, while spearheading their expansion and refinement as necessary. 

About you… 

• Proven leadership experience as a key member of a passionate development team. 

• Demonstrated expertise in navigating complex, fast-paced domains and piloting strategic technological initiatives. 

• A highly collaborative engineer and an excellent communicator adept at describing complex technical concepts in plain language. 

• Known for taking ownership of tasks with a strong focus on outcomes. 

• Established record of building relationships, serving as a trusted advisor to both IT and business stakeholders. 

• Committed to continuous learning and scouting new technology solutions, programming languages, and coding practices. 

• Highly independent, capable of leading with minimal supervision. 

• Quick adapter to complex technical environments with a vision for future expansion and innovation.

Some things you have extensive experience with… 

• 5+ years of Guidewire development experience (Claim Center preferred). 

• 5+ years of experience coding RESTful APIs. 

• 8+ years of experience with coding in multiple programming languages such as C#, Java, Python, etc. 

• 8+ years of experience with relational databases and SQL – MS SQL Server & Transact SQL proficiency preferred. 

• Expertise in the end-to-end design and development of business database applications. 

• Experience creating modern web applications and designing Web APIs with REST/JSON. 

• In-depth und